Blue Mohawks Can Change The World

Children have a unique view of our world. With the right encouragement, they will believe anything is possible. With the right tools, they will accomplish amazing things. They are gifted imitators. Give them something great to imitate...

Meet our friend Vincente.

He is 13 years old, in the 7th grade and an imitator of two amazing parents.

This is his story.

Vincente's Sunday school class had been raising money for child soldiers and his teacher agreed to match the class' funds if they could raise $35 per month. The class wasn't meeting this goal every month, so Vincente began to think of what else he could do to help. He started collecting change at various church events to add to the funds his Sunday school class was collecting each month. When that still wasn't enough, Vincente began exploring additional ways to raise money. With the encouragement of his parents, Vincente started talking with other kids in his youth group in addition to other kids at his school. This gave Vincente the idea to ask his friends to pay him to get a blue mohawk and he would give the money collected to Project: AK-47.

Vincente and his parents put together a plan and presented it to his school principle. With a little negotiation and a fighting will, he persuaded his school to allow him to pass out flyers , talk about the project for a full month during morning announcements, and arrange the collection of money for Project: AK-47 in all classrooms. They set a project goal of $500.

After a plan was in place, Vincente grew out his hair for 7 months and then (with his mom's help) cut and dyed it into a 10" tall blue mohawk. When Vincente's mom asked him what he would say to the kids that have been rescued by Project: AK-47 he replied "I would tell him that there are people on the other side of the world that care about you, even if we've never met you before. We do care." When we asked Vincente's mom about this experience she replied: "Can we solve all the world's problems? Absolutely not, but that shouldn't stop us from doing whatever we can to help. Sometimes as a parent, you wonder if you're teaching your child anything successfully. If Vincente learns nothing else from his parents,I'm so glad he got that one idea."

At the end of Vincente's blue mohawk campaign, he helped rase more than $1700 for Project: AK-47. We are so thankful for hearts like Vincente's. Without them, our efforts would not be possible.

It is our hope that Vincente's incredible story is an encouragement to you in a few ways. It is our desire for this story to give you hope and the knowledge that no matter your age or abundance of resources, you can make an impact. Know that Vincente is the same age as many of the child soldiers he is raising money to help protect. These children are taught to be imitators of war and are trained to kill. We exist to protect and rescue these children from a life of bondage and war.